Pilot test should have preceded nationwide Mysara rollout, says Tun Faisal
He criticised the lack of preparation behind the initiative, arguing that it appeared to have been implemented without adequate stress testing or contingency planning.
SHAH ALAM – The government should have conducted a pilot test of the MySara credit system before launching it nationwide, said Bersatu Federal Territory Information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.
He criticised the lack of preparation behind the initiative, arguing that it appeared to have been implemented without adequate stress testing or contingency planning.
“They should have run a few pilot tests to see how much load the system could handle. What are the alternatives if the system crashes?
“I don’t think any simulations were done. I believe they just announced it, made a decision and immediately launched it, without trial and error to identify potential issues,” he told Sinar Daily when met at the Karangkraf Media Headquarters, here, today.
Tun Faisal further criticised what he described as a pattern of poor planning by the government, suggesting that the MySara's first day of implementation chaos is part of a broader governance problem.
“Since this government came into power, there’s been a consistent issue. They announce things first, then problems emerge and only then do they scramble to manage them. It’s the same with MySara.
He argued that the administration lacks the skill and foresight to anticipate consequences, raising concerns about the government's ability to deliver even basic initiatives effectively.
“They lack administrative capability and cannot anticipate impacts. That’s what worries us about them running the government. If they can't even manage something this simple, how will they solve bigger issues” he said.
Tun Faisal cited previous examples such as the unresolved Bukit Jalil field issue, Padu data system and Olympic sportswear controversies as evidence of the current administration’s lack of experience and strategic foresight.
The MySara RM100 one-off credit was launched under the “Sara Untuk Semua” initiative and made available to all Malaysians aged 18 and above, regardless of income level, starting Aug 31.
The credit is disbursed directly to individuals via MyKad and can be used for cashless purchases at selected participating outlets nationwide.
It forms part of the government’s broader Sara targeted assistance programme, with an estimated 22 million adults expected to benefit.
The government has allocated RM2 billion for this initiative. When combined with Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and existing Sara support, the total government aid for the year amounts to RM15 billion.
However, the programme’s rollout has faced widespread criticism due to technical glitches, lack of communication and system instability, all of which have fuelled public frustration.
On a broader note, Tun Faisal also touched on the role of political alliances, stating that initiatives like the opposition front are meant to serve a common cause for the people, rather than purely electoral goals.
“The aim is actually to fight for a common cause involving the people, most obviously the cost of living, and also issues like subsidy cuts. It’s about finding a common ground where we can move together and act as a check-and-balance,” he said.
While the initiative aims to ease the financial burden on millions of Malaysians, critics argue that without proper planning and execution, even well-intentioned policies risk collapsing under their own weight.
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